In its second year, the national championships of the Philippine Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games was held at Cavite State University (CvSU) in Indang, Cavite, August 18-24.
Themed “Husay ng ROTC, Husay ng Kabataan,” cadet athletes, coaches, officials, and staff from various higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country gathered for the national championships which aims to promote camaraderie, nationalism, sports development, and the ROTC program.
From 2023, the ROTC Games saw a significant increase in the number of participating athletes and HEIs, and sports events including arnis, athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, e-sports, kickboxing, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, target shooting, volleyball, raiders’ competition, and Miss ROTC.
Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada and Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian graced the national championships as the guests of honor and speakers during the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively.
In their messages, Sen. Estrada emphasized how the ROTC Games promotes discipline, camaraderie, teamwork, and nationalism by providing a platform for young Filipinos to showcase their athletic talents and skills.
Meanwhile, Sen. Gatchalian reiterated the importance of providing support to hone the skills of young Filipinos who have the potential in sports.
According to Sen. Francis Tolentino, the founder of Philippine ROTC Games, some cadet athletes competing in combat sports and target shooting have the potential to become part of the national pool.
A total of 270 ROTC athlete scholars (134 from Army, 68 from Navy, and 68 from Air Force) were also awarded with a P50,000 scholarship grant at the conclusion of the Games.
This 2024 Philippine ROTC Games was also dominated by the cadet athletes from the Philippine Navy with 44 gold, 19 silver, and 26 bronze medals; the Philippine Army with 42 gold, 54 silver, and 77 bronze; and the Philippine Air Force with 18 gold, 27 silver, and 39 bronze.
Meanwhile, the De La Salle University is hailed as the top performing school in this year’s Games with 25 gold and three silver medals.
The Philippine ROTC Games was made possible through the initiatives of the Office of Senator Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission, Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education, and partner local government units and host HEIs for the competition’s qualifying championships.
